Long Beach Port Sees Near-Record Imports Despite Trade War

The nation's second-busiest container port reports strong January numbers despite economic uncertainty.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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The Port of Long Beach, one of the busiest container ports in the U.S., saw its second-highest January on record in 2026, moving 847,765 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers. This was down 11% from the port's best January in 2025, but still a strong performance amid the ongoing China-U.S. trade war and economic uncertainty.

Why it matters

The strong import numbers at the Port of Long Beach, which along with the neighboring Port of Los Angeles forms the largest container gateway in the U.S., suggest that despite trade tensions, consumer demand and supply chain resilience have kept cargo volumes relatively high. This is an encouraging sign for the broader economy.

The details

Imports fell 13.1% to 409,818 TEUs in January 2026, while exports improved 0.8% to 99,478 TEUs. Empty containers, an indicator of future import shipments, were off by 11.5% to 338,470 TEUs. The strong performance came on late 2025 orders as well as some early frontloading by importers ahead of the February Lunar New Year holiday.

  • The Port of Long Beach recorded its second-busiest January ever in 2026.
  • January 2025 was the port's best January and second-busiest month in its 115-year history.

The players

Port of Long Beach

One of the busiest container ports in the United States, located in Long Beach, California.

Port of Los Angeles

The neighboring port to the Port of Long Beach, together they form the largest container gateway in the U.S.

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The takeaway

Despite the ongoing China-U.S. trade war and economic uncertainty, the strong import numbers at the Port of Long Beach suggest that consumer demand and supply chain resilience have kept cargo volumes relatively high, which is an encouraging sign for the broader economy.